The present invention relates to an air-bag arrangement, and more particularly relates to an air-bag arrangement adapted to provide protection for an occupant of a motor vehicle in the event that a side impact or roll-over situation should occur.
It has been proposed previously to provide an air-bag arrangement incorporating an inflatable element initially stored in a recess or housing which extends above the side door openings of a motor vehicle, the inflatable element being adapted to be inflated to occupy a position between the occupant of the vehicle and the side doors of the vehicle. Thus the inflatable element can be considered to constitute an inflatable curtain.
Inflatable elements of this type are disclosed in GB 2,297,950 A. This specification teaches an inflatable element formed of two adjacent sheets of fabric which are interconnected by seams to form a plurality of cells. The configuration of the inflatable element is such that, as the inflatable element becomes inflated, the cells take on a substantially cylindrical configuration and a line of tension is created so that the inflatable element is held substantially rigidly in position.
It is important that the inflatable element should be deployed very swiftly in response to a signal from a sensor indicating that a side impact, or a roll-over situation exists. It is also important, especially in a roll-over situation, that the inflatable element should be maintained in the inflated state for a relatively long period of time.
It is to be understood that, in a side impact or roll-over situation, the side window of a vehicle may break. Parts of a broken window may damage an airbag which is located immediately adjacent that window, and the air-bag may then lose gas and become deflated. This is clearly disadvantageous.